In broadcasting systems at present, Moving Picture Experts Group-2 Transport Stream (MPEG-2 TS) and Real-time Transport Stream (RTP) media transport schemes are being widely used. These schemes, however, face various limitations if cooperation between broadcasting and communication is attempted. So, MPEG Media Transport (MMT) has been proposed as a new media transport scheme that assumes the use of various networks with MPEG.
An MMT-adopted transmitting system converts MPEG Media Transport Protocol (MMTP)/User Datagram Protocol (UDP)/Internet Protocol (IP) packets into Type Length Value (TLV) packets. The transmitting system stores TLV packets in slots to generate transmission main signals. The transmission main signals are generated in units of slots, and their transmission control setting is updated for each frame of 120 slots, for example. The transmitting system performs modulation processes, etc. on the transmission main signals and transmits them as broadcast waves.
When a transmitting system generates transmission main signals by storing TLV packets in slots, the transmission main signals for a frame may have a last valid slot with a remaining capacity of less than 4 bytes. Unfortunately, a TLV packet requires a minimum capacity of 4 bytes, and if the slot's remaining capacity falls below 4 bytes, it is no longer possible to store a TLV packet in that slot. Such an instance may pose problems for the transmitting system to transmit broadcast waves.